Animal-trap.



T. J. ELLISON.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 1914.

1,149,190. Pat-entd Aug 10, 1915.

t n'oM As J. ELLIsoN, or TnnRILLjKENTuoKY;

" ANIMAL-TRAP,

' Specification of Letters Patent.

a plication filed November 27,1914. Serial News 1.

To all whomit may concern: I

Be it known that I, THOMAS J E LrsoN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Terrill, in the county of Madison and State of Kentucky, haveinvented certain new r and: useful Improvements in Animal -Traps, of

which the following isaspeci fication. A

This invention relates to animal traps having springjawsby which the animal is ,vention will be pointedout in the detaile description appearinghereinafter.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had tothe accompanying drawing inwhich t Figure l is a perspective view of the trap set, and Fig.2 is a side elevation showing the trap sprung. I

Referring specifically to the drawing, the base of the trap is apiece of wire bent into rectangular, shape to Iform side bars 5 and end bars 6, the former havingupward bends at their ends so that the latter, arerspaced from the ground@ Adjacenttothe ends of e the side barsthe same are connected by cross 1 bars 7 and. 8,flrespecti vely, which are also 55. r -when released they swing dow'nward, the j formed of wire and serve as" supports for the jaws 9 and 10 of the trapi 1 Each jaw is formedfof a single plece of .wire which is bent to form two spaced, parallel side bars and a-7connecting-crossbar at one end thereof. Theothenendsof the side bars are bent intocoils a nd. the terminals are connected to the end bars Got the base by being wrapped around thesarne. The cross bars 7 and 8 passthrough the coils ofthe' respectiveaws. The spread and length of the side bars of the jaw .9 isfless than that vof the jaw l Q-',so that-the jaw'91nay swing v,(1 Wn betweenthe side bars of the awlO.

50, I i a V a r j r I and those ofthejawv 10 at 12, the cross bar,

The coilsof the jaw 9 are indicated at: '11,

'Z passing throughthe coils' ll and the cross bar 8 through the coils 12,,fThe jaws, when set,are in perpendicularposition andgop- .posite each other,- as j shown in Fig? l, and

coils llpand 12 being the closing springs.

The. -cross bar of the jaw 10 'is oii set rearso" that when the trap is not in use said jaw folds down over thejaw 9, and the two jaws lie close to the base. The trap maythus Patented Aug. raters.

be folded fiatiand conveniently carried. {The 7 cross bar of the jaw 9 carries a trigger l8 the cifoss bar of the "jaw 10 carries a trigger These triggers are .wire rods which are pivoted to the cross bars of the respective jaws. a

To one of the sidebarsoof the trap base is pivoted, as indicated at 15 ,a tilting baitsupportingplatt'orm 16 having at itsfree end a projecting finger 17 which extends across the. otherside bar 5 and is in the path of one of the side bars ofthejaw 9, whereby said jaw is prevented from swinging lower thanthe base of the trap. I The platformhas a hole l8 atithe center to hold the bait, and its side edgewhich isnextto the jaw lOhas an,upstandilng"bendv 19 forming an ab utamentfto be engagedby the trigger ltrjThe platform is between thejaws when .thetrap is set so that the animal must get between thelatter to reach thevbait.

The trap is set asfollows The 10 being. swung upward into perpendicular position, the platform 16 is tilted upward and the trigger lei is dropped to depend fromf the crossbar ofthe jaw 10, its free end being placed against the abutment l9. The trigger 18is swung into horizontal position to extendacross from the jaw ,9

toward the jaw 10, the free end of said trigger 14 near its connection with the cross bar .ofthe j awQIO; The spring action of the jaw 9 holds the trigger l3 pressed endwise against the trigger 14 and the free end of thelatter jaws 9 and ger being placed against the depending trig- I presses ,sidewise against the abutmenthl9, r 7

whereby ;.t he platform 16 is held elevated, and the jaws are held set, fIf now theplatfornris depressed by the animal stepping thereon, or otherwise, the abutment 19 is withdrawnfromthe free end of the trigger I 14, sothat the latter no longer props upthe' jaws open, they spring and close down over the animal as shown in Fig.2.

, trigger 13 and said trigger 13 isfree to drop I down, .As there is now nothing to hold the.

In order to prevent the animal fro nworke ;ing1oose,. a chain .20 is connectedfat one end'to the crossbar of the jaw 9, the other end of thechainbeingmade fast toa suitableflanchoring post 21. The cross bar 6 2 adjacent to the j aw 10 carries a loop vbreye 22' through which the chain passes. The ohaincarries, intermediate its ends, a small pinor other attachment 23 which, whena-the" trap is set, may be'placed so that it comes between the trigger l iland theendiof the trigger 13, sai'dpin'beingthus held between I the triggers, whereby-the 'eh ain 'is ghel'd s16- vated; Thevchain may also beheld elevated by slipping "it over the top cross bar oi the jaw 10, which gives it a loose*suppor't,-and "enables it to fall out oit' the way when the trap is sprung. If the' p'in 23 isemployed for "holding the chain elevated, said pin is released 'w'hen the t'rap "is sprung. "In' either *caselthe chain islle'ft loose and position to tighten *the j aw 19 down on the "animal; The

greater "the pull back gainst the chain, the

' tighter willthejw 9press-against the animal, and the animal is thus-eifectual'l-y'gpre-r vented from working-loose and 'eflecting escape from 'the' trap. The loop '22 not-only acts as a guide 'for the chainfbut also docks fthesame,a detent 2g being provided, which engages the chaini-nsfidh a manner that 'it is h'e'ldxagains't' rslipp'i'ng in "a direction to release the jaw 9.} lliisideten t is,carried by the-loop or eye 22.; J1

The trap is not only a bait trapfbut it {can also be placed acrossithe entrance of a den so that the animal will "have'ito :pass'fth'rough it. Irrespectiveoiffthe *p'o'siti'on of thetrap,

i the animal is Gang-lawless the body so that I fit'here is no danger ott injury to the fu r.

I claim:

1. animal tr fp comprising a fbase, a

pair or "opposite spring jaws and a tiltable bait supporticarried by the base, said bait *suppor'thavin'g an "abutment, and a pi'vo'ted trigger carried by e'aoh jaw, "the trigger {of "one of the jaws depending e'theref-rom and engaging the -,a"i;oresaidy"abutmerft, "and the otheritrigger [between the jaws and having its rre'ezena engaging the firstmentioned trigger when the 'trap is set. I

2.1An animal trap com-prising a "base, pair of opposite spring jaws and a tiltable bait support carried Ebyl the ibase, said bait support having an abutmentyand a pivoted trigger carried by *each aw, the trigger of i one of 'the' jaws depending therefrom and engaging the "aforesaid abu'tment, "and the other {trigger extending I be'tweenthe "j a ws and having its free fend"1'engaging i the -first-m'entioned trigger when the; trap is set ,leachfj a'w being composed-of spaced side 1 bars having "a spring connection at one end f w-ith the base, and the other nd of "said 1 sidebars having a cross :bar connecting the same, the trigger-sbeing carried b'y thecrojss barsof the respective jaws. I

a An animal trap 01p ising 'aa base,

bait support carried "by the 'base, said bait support having an abutment, and :a pivoted pair of opposite spring jaws and f'jaf tiltahle' trigger. carried by the trigger of i same, the spread and length "of the sidebars ofone ja w being greaterthan' that of the *other'jaw to permit the jaws to pass each other when swung-down toward the base;

aniinal trap'compr-isin'g a base, a pair of opposite 'spr'ing jaws and a" tiltabfle bait support'carri'ed by the 'base, said bait -suppo1 t having an abutment; and a pivoted trigger oarried by eah a-w, "the I trigger of i;

one of the ijaws depending therefrom and engaging the aforesaid abutment, and the other trigger' 'extending between the jaws and *havingits free end engaging the first i mentioned trigger when .the tra-p is set, each "j aw beni'g 'composedof spaced side bars having a spring connection at one end with the base, and the other end-of said sidebars having-a cross 'bar oonneotingthe same, the f jaw, being greater than that of-the other jaw {to permi't the,- a'ws "to' pass each other when swung down toward thefbase, the-cross bar of the first-mentioned jaw beingofi'set from its side bars; 1 1 I "1' 5. An animal trapcomprising a base having spaced side bars, springjaws carried by the .base, a tiltable bait support pivoted to "spread and 'length -of the side bars otone one-oithe sidebars-of the baseand extend support having an abutment, and a pivoted and-"having its free enld engaging the'firstmentioned trigger when the trap is;set, the i aforesaidajaws' being located 7 on opposite 1 sides of'E-theibait support, and 'each j aw; be-

ing across to the-other sidebar, said bait 'tri'gger earried -by *each aw,the trigger of "one of the aws depending therefrom? and en-gaging t he -attoresaid 'abutment, and the 'other trigger extending between'ithe jaws s V ing composed of spaced side bar h j 'g i spring conne'etionat one end withthe base,

i and {the other end' of said-side bars having .a cross bar -conhecting the same,jtl1espread and length 20% the side ba-rs- (Stone, j awbeing greater than fthat o'f theother jaw to permit the aws *to pass e'ah :other' when swung down Y toward the base; I I

--f-6.-*An=a'riimal'trap comprising a base, a. T

,pair 'of -oppositespring jawsand'a tiltable ba-it' supporticarried-"by fthefbase, said bait support having an abutment, a" pivoted trig gencarried?by each jaw, -the 't'nigger of "one of the JHLWS depending therefrom and enjgg'aging the aforesaid 'abutment, and [the "other -trigger extending -between the jaws and having its free end engaging thefi'rst mentioned trigger when the trap is set, a chain connected to one of the jaws, an

anchoring device for the chain, and a guide on the base through which the chain passes. 7 An animal trap comprising a base, a

pair of opposite spring jaws and a tiltablebait support carried by the base, said bait support having an abutment, a pivoted trigger carried by each jaw, the trigger of one of the jaws depending therefrom and en-i gaging the aforesaid abutment, and, the other trigger extending between the jaws and having its free end engaging the first- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the f Commissioner of Patents,

pair of opposite spring jaws and a tiltable bait support carried by the base, said bait support having an abutment, a pivotedtriggercarried by each jaw, the trigger of one of the jaws depending therefrom and engaging the aforesaid abutment, and the a and having its free end engaging the firstmentioned trigger when the trap is set, a

chain connected to one of the jaws and held, suspended above the bait support when the trap is set, an anchoring device for the chain, a guide on the base through which the chain passes, and means on said guide for preventing the chain from slipping back.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\ THOMAS J. ELLISON. Witnesses: V

S. P. DEATHRIDGE, J. W. GRooKE.

Washington, D. 0.

other trigger extending between the jaws 

